This invention relates to wheel trims, which term herein includes wheel covers, trim rings and the like adapted to be removably attached to a vehicle wheel, and in particular relates to means for securing such covers or trims to an axial flange of the wheel.
Heretofore great effort has been expended in the development of wheel covers and retention means for positively securing the covers to the wheels so as to withstand various tests and road conditions tending to jar the covers loose. In consequence, considerable difficulty is often experienced when it is desired to remove the cover, as for example to replace or repair a dented or otherwise damaged cover or to change a tire. The retention means may be so effective that the cover cannot be removed without serious injury to the parts, with the result that after one or two removals, the retention means and sometimes the cover are damaged beyond use.
When a wheel cover is properly located coaxially on a wheel, the force required to secure the cover to the wheel is appreciably less than when the cover is secured eccentrically. Also when a cover is inadvertently secured eccentrically to the wheel, not only do the resulting unbalanced centrifugal forces tend to throw the cover from the wheel, but tire wear is accelerated and the vehicle ride can be objectionable.
In order to secure the cover coaxially to the wheel, it has been the practice heretofore to secure the cover at a number of circumferentially spaced locations, as for example six or eight. Thus if a careless mechanic fails to force one of the conventional retention devices properly against the wheel, the circumferentially adjacent retention devices assure a reasonably coaxial attachment between the cover and wheel.
A significant contribution of the present invention has resulted from the realization that the numerous retention devices required heretofore are merely to assure reasonable coaxial attachment between the wheel trim and the wheel, whereas if care is taken to attach the trim coaxially, a nominal number of conventional retention devices, as for example one-half the number employed heretofore, will secure the trim positively to the wheel under all typical driving conditions.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide improved retention means for a vehicle wheel trim wherein alternate retainers may be conventional and the remaining retainers may comprise a set of locating devices which are only nominally effective by themselves as retention devices and which are therefore easily removable from the wheel, but which are effective in assuring that the trim is located and secured coaxially on the wheel. In consequence of reducing the number of effective retention devices, the trim may be pried from the wheel with far less effort than has been required heretofore because only nominal force is required to pry the remaining retainers or locating devices from the wheel.
In order to remove a wheel cover from a vehicle wheel, it is customary to insert a heavy screwdriver or other pry between the cover and wheel at one circumferential location and pry the cover loose. Usually the free space between the prying tool and the vehicle wheel or tire is quite limited, with the frequent result that when the tool swings into engagement with the tire at the limit of the available prying movement, the retention device merely yields resiliently without in any way being dislodged from its attachment with the wheel rim. When the prying tool is removed, the retention device returns resiliently to its former attached position. On the other hand, if the prying operation is successful, the diametrically opposite retention device is often deformed beyond its elastic limit, with consequent damage to the overly stressed retention device and impairment of its attachment effectiveness for successive use.
Other important objects are to provide an improved wheel trim cooperable with conventional retention means and effective to limit the extent of eccentricity between the trim and wheel, and to provide such a cover which narrowly limits the amount of resilient movement that can be imparted to the retention means during a prying operation as described and which thereby prevents bending of any retention device beyond its elastic limit, and which also serves as a fulcrum for the wheel trim at a location diametrically opposite the prying tool to enhance the tools effectiveness in dislodging the attachment between the adjacent retention device and wheel flange.
Another object is to provide an improved retention device which has the retention effectiveness of conventional devices, but which comprises cam means for disengaging its attachment with the axial wheel flange when forced axially beyond a predetermined limit toward the wheel, thereby to achieve coaxial alignment between a wheel trim and wheel by assuring that each of the circumferentially spaced retention devices when attached to the wheel lies in substantially the same plane normal to the wheel axis.
Another object is to provide improved retention means for a wheel trim adapted to seat in the annular channel located in the surface of the axial wheel flange radially opposite the usual safety hump of the wheel flange. The retention means is resiliently urged radially outwardly against the axial wheel flange so that immediately after it moves inward beyond the outer sidewall of the aforesaid channel during attachment of the trim to the wheel, the retention means snaps into locating and retention position within the channel. As a result, coaxial alignment of the trim with the wheel is assured, fewer circumferentially spaced retention means are required than heretofore in order to provide adequate attachment of the trim to the wheel, and removal of the trim from the wheel when desired is facilitated.
Other objects are to provide improved retention means adapted to be resiliently seated within the aforesaid channel of the axial wheel flange as described above and which enable an effective compromise between retention effectiveness and removability, wherein improved resilient means are provided to resist any initial outward movement of the retention means beyond the axially outer sidewall of the channel within which it is located, but wherein after the retention means is moved axially outwardly from the channel, it is comparatively freely slidable axially thereafter to facilitate complete removal of the cover.
Other and more specific objects are to provide a retention means adapted to be resiliently seated and located within the aforesaid channel as described and comprising part of a formed ribbon of spring steel secured to the wheel trim and having resilient hinge portions yieldable to enable swinging of the retention means radially inward to facilitate its axial outward passage of the outer sidewall of the channel without permanently deforming the spring steel material by stressing it beyond its elastic limit; and to provide a particular embodiment of the invention wherein the retention means is connected to the hinge portion by an oblique arm of the formed spring steel, such that during any initial movement of the trim axially from its attachment with the wheel, the force seating the retention means within the channel is increased to resist accidential removal of the cover.
Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.